“I’ve worked with children in places all over the world–among them an Italian neighborhood in Boston, the Colombian Andes, rural India, the Appalachian mountains, and North Carolina, Where one of my students was fond of saying, ‘I wanna take me a picture.’ I’ve heard it said by children and adults many times, in many languages– ”I want to take a picture” –when what they meant was, ‘I want to be photographed.’ Their desire to be photographed was as strong as their desire to photograph.” –Wendy Ewald
I took a workshop many years ago all about teaching kids literacy through photography at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in North Carolina. I was able to meet and speak with a photographer, Wendy Ewald, who has done amazing work teaching and collaborating with children. I was amazed at the natural talent and expression in the children’s work she shared with us. I love this sentiment (above) about how many kids and adults say they want to take a picture when they have an equal desire to be photographed.
I’ve observed this many times in my own work as I show a child a portrait I’ve taken of them. They often react with curiosity, excitement or surprise. Some children immediately want to take the camera out of my hands. Others, instead, start directing me on how they would like to be photographed. They begin experimenting and changing their facial expressions, movements and postures. They very naturally sense that a portrait is often a collaboration. It involves trust, communication, curiosity and creativity on the part of the photographer and the subject.
This collaborative quality of portraits is one reason I love working with people so much. Photographing children, specifically, can be both uniquely challenging and gratifying. There is a spontaneity and honesty that tends to come to the surface more quickly when working with children than when photographing adults. Children also tend to be more at ease in front of the camera and less self-conscious than adults. They are less critical of themselves and can enjoy the process of creation without their insecurities getting in the way.
Frequently, children can have very short attention spans in front of the camera if they are bored, hungry, tired or distracted. I advise parents to make sure their children are fed, hydrated and well rested before a portrait session, and my job as a photographer is to help them become engaged and curious about the process. When they become active collaborators, I’ve seen many children exhibit incredible patience when being photographed. If I take a little bit more time during a portrait session to allow children to explore the picture making process with me, I find it easier to gain their cooperation and trust. They become bored very quickly when they see I’m keeping all the creative decisions to myself. I also think it’s important not to force a photo from a child. In a sense they need to “give” me their portrait rather than me “taking” their portrait. This is why I suggest rescheduling or postpone a session if a child isn’t in the mood to engage and doesn’t respond after consistent gentle persuasion.
I find children to be naturally talented photographers and collaborators because they are constantly observing the world and people around them with fresh eyes. They are always exploring, collecting things and absorbing new information. Adults have become more familiar with the world, which sometimes blinds them to the novelty of things they have come to see as routine or mundane. Photographers are always trying to look at everyday things in new ways, in new lights, from new perspectives and often remain sensitive to more subtle stimuli in our environments so we can often collaborate well with children.
I’m personally drawn to capturing moments of stillness in children, moments when they have allowed themselves to become curious about what I’m doing and what I’m asking of them. In these moments they often become quieter and more attentive–instinctively and silently collaborating on what becomes the final portrait. Collaborating and connecting with children is often a very subtle process and much of it is non-verbal. My intent in each portrait session is to capture something inward about each child, their curiosity, their trust, their innate innocence, their stillness, their honesty.
If these thoughts resonate with you and you are drawn to this portrait approach and style, feel free to reach out to me at reed@rebeccareed.co to set up a free consultation. I would love the opportunity to collaborate with your child on a portrait both you and they will love. I’m currently booking children’s portraits, motherhood portraits and day in the life sessions in anticipation of Mother’s Day.
Have a great weekend!
